The foods that they eat are considered auspicious because the sound of the name is similar to another word in Chinese which means something good (eg increase, gain, etc). While I don’t remember the words, I do remember that they like to eat 1. abalone 2. mandarin oranges (which they also give in pairs to people) 3. a type of black moss (fai cai I think?) which looks like hair 4. pineapple tarts (like a round shortbread biscuit with a ball of sweetened, cooked pineapple on top).

Lion dance groups make lots of money during this season. They ride around in open top trucks beating their gongs, drums, and cymbals while they speed to the next venue for their lion dance. Evidently there are specific ways to dance the traditional dance, with the lion ending by “eating” a lettuce that is filled with a “hong bao” or red packet with money inside. The numbers 88 and increasing 8 digits are considered special- “double happiness”. Also, hong bao. red packets containing money, are given out to people by their family members.

It is nice to be able to see things happening instead of just reading them in books! The only other Chinese words that have stuck are “ang mo” which means foreigner, but literally “red head” :0).

Does anybody want to come visit us in Singapore yet? (with a large Indian and Malay population you also get Eid celebrations for Islam, Diwali and other Hindu celebrations, and many more!)

Raihanah